Democratic candidate Jill Davidson ’89 overwhelmingly won Tuesday’s special election for the Providence City Council’s Ward 2 seat, which represents the neighborhoods of Blackstone, College Hill and Wayland. With all polling locations reporting results, Davidson received almost 95% of votes cast, according to unofficial results posted by the Rhode Island Board of Elections.
The election saw 700 cast ballots — including 491 received on election day — yielding a turnout rate of just over 7% of registered voters. Davidson received 664 votes, while Republican candidate Axel Brito ’26 garnered 27 — just under 4% of the total vote. The remaining nine votes went to write-in candidates.
The election was triggered after former Councilwoman Helen Anthony announced her resignation in August. With the election win, Davidson will fill the now-empty seat through next fall, when all 15 City Council positions are up for election. In her interview with The Herald last month, Davidson said she intends to run for re-election next fall.
Davidson’s swearing-in is “tentatively scheduled” for Dec. 17 at City Hall, according to June Rose, chief of staff of the Providence City Council. The induction date depends on when the election results are certified, which “we’re anticipating will happen on Dec. 11,” Rose wrote in an email to The Herald.
After her victory, Davidson told The Herald that she is “looking forward to working toward long-term success for our public schools, pushing for increased environmental resilience, fighting for a more affordable Providence for everyone and more.”
In an interview with The Herald last month, Davidson advocated for the use of multiple strategies — including rent stabilization and building more social housing units — to address rising costs in the housing market. She also highlighted her takeaways from almost six years of working for environmental nonprofit Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council as well as her experience as a longtime PPSD parent.
In a post-win email to The Herald, Davidson called for increased dialogue and unity. “We need solutions, so let’s keep talking, even when we disagree,” she wrote.
She also commended Brito, writing, “I know that he has much to contribute to our community.”
Brito did not respond to The Herald’s request for comment.
Davidson won last month’s four-way Democratic primary with about 49% of the vote, having received endorsements from Anthony, Climate Action R.I., Reclaim R.I. and Rhode Island State Senator Sam Zurier (D-Providence), among others, The Herald previously reported.
In a public statement, Davidson called her campaign “a reflection of our community,” noting that individuals of different backgrounds, priorities and experiences “came together to work for our future.”
She also wrote that while she doesn’t “have all the answers,” she believes that “community starts with listening, respecting one another and focusing on what we have in common.”
After Tuesday’s win, Anthony Vega, a spokesperson for Mayor Brett Smiley, wrote in an email to The Herald that “Mayor Smiley congratulates Jill Davidson on her victory.”
The mayor “looks forward to working with her to support neighbors and continue moving Providence forward,” Vega wrote.
Lev Kotler-Berkowitz is a senior staff writer covering city and state politics. He is from the Boston area and is a junior concentrating in Political Science and Economics. In his free time, Lev can be found playing baseball or running around with his dog.
